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Early Learning Ventures Renews its Commitment to Early Childhood Education at Clinton Global Initiative America in Denver this Week

June 9, 2015

This week marks the 5th annual Clinton Global Initiative America (CGI America), and the 2nd year in a row in which the event is being held in Denver. For the 3rd year in a row, Denver-based Early Learning Ventures (ELV) will be participating and renewing its commitment to early childhood education. ELV is an organization founded by the David & Laura Merage Foundation that is leveraging shared services to increase the operational efficiencies of child care providers, thus allowing them to provide higher quality child care at a lower cost. ELV’s official CGI commitment was established in 2013 and since that time, ELV has seen tremendous growth and has been building up their capacity for national scaling. ELV is currently serving more than 600 child care businesses, impacting 40,000+ children, and returning up to $8 for each dollar invested in Colorado.

Sue Renner, Executive Director of the Merage Foundations will be representing Early Learning Ventures at this year’s CGI America. “CGI America brings together some of the most active change-makers in the early learning space from across the country to engage in information sharing and collaboration that seeks to ultimately increase learning opportunities for all of America’s children,” said Sue. “We are very proud of what ELV has accomplished in Colorado, and I look forward to connecting with individuals and organizations from other states to see how we can work together to expand our reach in order to help even more children and families,” Sue added.

This year, ELV was awarded an Early Head Start-Child Care Partnership (EHS-CC) Grant of $3.1 million, making it the largest award in the state of Colorado ($5.7 total allocated to the state) as well as the only new Early Head Start (EHS) grantee. ELV’s grant award will allow for the delivery of EHS services to 240 eligible children and families through a unique collaboration with community agencies using ELV’s shared services network in Arapahoe, Garfield, Mesa and Pueblo counties. Lionel Espinoza, ELV’s Early Head Start Program Director said, “This is only the beginning of ELV’s expansion as we seek to fulfill its mission of reaching more and more children and families with access to the highest quality of care.”

About Early Learning Ventures

Founded by the David & Laura Merage Foundation, Early Learning Ventures (ELV) is making it possible to deliver high quality and affordable early care and education. ELV strategically aligns itself with a diverse range of community-based partners to deliver a comprehensive, fully integrated shared services model. Through the power of an online technology platform and the resourcefulness of community partners, ELV brings together small, market-based child care providers with the often siloed, child care regulatory, quality improvement, and subsidy systems resulting in significant savings of both time and money which are then reinvested in providing higher quality child care. For more information, visit www.earlylearningventures.org.

About the David & Laura Merage Foundation

Promoting self-sufficiency through education and community development, the foundation supports programs that are focused on social change and result in children, families and communities improving the quality and circumstances of their lives. David & Laura Merage believe that education is the gateway to optimal life outcomes. For more information, please visit www.merage.org.

About CGI America

The Clinton Global Initiative (CGI), an initiative of the Clinton Foundation, convenes global leaders to create and implement solutions to the world’s most pressing challenges. Established in June 2011 by President Bill Clinton, the Clinton Global Initiative America (CGI America) addresses economic recovery in the United States. CGI America brings together leaders in business, government, and civil society to generate and implement commitments to create jobs, stimulate economic growth, foster innovation, and support workforce development in the United States. Since its first meeting, CGI America participants have made more than 400 commitments, which have improved the lives of nearly 1.4 million people.

CGI also convenes an Annual Meeting, which brings together global leaders to take action and create positive social change, CGI University (CGI U), which brings together undergraduate and graduate students to address pressing challenges in their community or around the world, and, this year, CGI will also convene CGI Middle East & Africa, which will bring together leaders across sectors to take action on pressing social, economic, and environmental challenges. For more information, visit clintonglobalinitiative.org and follow us on Twitter @ClintonGlobal and Facebook at facebook.com/clintonglobalinitiative.